Welcome to the Burnham Harbor Notebook
The Burnham Harbor Notebook is meant to be a shared space…a place where members of our team can put thoughts on paper, explore ideas that keep coming up in conversations with clients, reflect on the intersection of financial planning and real life, and dig deeper into topics that spark our curiosity. The goal is for this to grow into a collective voice over time, shaped by the experiences and perspectives of everyone at Burnham Harbor Private Wealth.
For my part, I’ve spent most of my career working with multi-generational families whose financial lives span very different goals, time horizons, and risk tolerances. Planning for a family like that isn’t a linear exercise. It’s an ongoing conversation that blends structure with flexibility, math with emotion, spreadsheets with human behavior. I’ve always been drawn to the place where financial planning, estate work, and tax strategy meet, because that’s where real decisions are made and where the tradeoffs matter.
After studying accounting at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, I spent 2005 teaching English in China — an experience that pushed me out of my comfort zone and taught me more about communication, patience, and perspective than any classroom ever could. I returned to the U.S. in 2006 and began my wealth management career at Morgan Stanley, before transitioning to Merrill Lynch in 2007. In 2023, we launched Burnham Harbor Private Wealth as an independent firm where clients have real choice and control, supported by thoughtful planning, clear communication, and long-term relationships.
I grew up on Chicago’s South Side in the Beverly neighborhood. Today, I live on Chicago’s North Side with my wife, Julie, and our three kids, Marty (7), Ellie (almost 5), and Danny (3), navigating the same balancing act many families face: saving thoughtfully, preparing for the future, and still enjoying the moments happening right now. When I’m not at work or managing family life, we love traveling together, exploring new foods through cooking and dining, and playing handball.
Our firm is inspired by Daniel Burnham, the renowned architect and urban planner behind Chicago’s iconic skyline and the 1909 Plan of Chicago. Burnham famously reminded people to “make no small plans,” a philosophy that resonates with us not as a call for grand gestures, but as a reminder to approach planning intentionally. Meaningful plans are those that reflect your values, protect what matters most, and give you the freedom to live your life fully rather than simply follow a model.
That’s what we hope this Notebook captures: practical insights, real-world examples, honest questions, and perspectives that help make planning feel a little more approachable and a lot more human.
Thanks for reading, and welcome.
-Managing Partner Sean M. Jucas, CFP®, CPWA®, SE-AWMASM
